Random Doggedness.
Feb. 21st, 2014 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anigoSome of you may know I have dogs. 
Chester is a big 'ol stupid-head. He has the most gentle disposition. He's easily the biggest dog of the three and the most passive. It took him a month before he'd stop peeing on the floor every time somebody walked in the room. If you approach him he'll lay down and show you his belly (and his weenis). We call him the porn star because he's always showin' you his junk.
Zoe is a princess. She the quintessential youngest child who has been upstaged by a baby. Neither Zoe nor Chester have a mean bone in their body. Not even a mean capillary, however Zoe does get put out if she doesn't feel she's getting the attention she deserves. Both Zoe and Chester have been genetically wired to wag their tails if you do anything over and above breathe.
And then there's Lucy.
Lucy came to us about 10 years ago after our black lab Gunner passed away. Lucy has been an "old dog" since she was about 3 years old. She's had a mature disposition and old joints and a white face for as long as I can remember (though I have photo evidence, as shown in my user pic above, to the contrary.) We got Zoe three years ago because we, quite honestly, didn't expect Lucy to be around that much longer. And here we are three years later. In truth though, I've been noticing some subtle (and not so subtle) changes lately. She never bounded up stairs, but lately they're harder than usual. And she's panting more than usual. And she wants out in the middle of the night. And yesterday Jess came home to a mess on the floor.
And it makes me sad.
With luck there are another 3 years left of old dog. What I'm afraid of the most is the end. Not of the fact it's coming, but of the actual mechanics of it. As sad as it is, I would much rather she come down with something like cancer and the vet tell us to take her home for a couple of days and then bring her back and have her quietly and comfortably go across the rainbow bridge. I'd much rather that than wake up and find her already gone (and to be clear, if that should happen I will not have one sweet clue what to do with myself or with her.) or the worst of the three, to have her slowly deteriorate and leave it up to me to decide that today should be the day. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Because to be clear, that's a shitty decision to have to make.
Ok this post is making me sad. I think I'll stop now and go watch Canada whup some Oympic hockey ass. That's always cheering.
As you were.
Chester is a big 'ol stupid-head. He has the most gentle disposition. He's easily the biggest dog of the three and the most passive. It took him a month before he'd stop peeing on the floor every time somebody walked in the room. If you approach him he'll lay down and show you his belly (and his weenis). We call him the porn star because he's always showin' you his junk.
Zoe is a princess. She the quintessential youngest child who has been upstaged by a baby. Neither Zoe nor Chester have a mean bone in their body. Not even a mean capillary, however Zoe does get put out if she doesn't feel she's getting the attention she deserves. Both Zoe and Chester have been genetically wired to wag their tails if you do anything over and above breathe.
And then there's Lucy.
Lucy came to us about 10 years ago after our black lab Gunner passed away. Lucy has been an "old dog" since she was about 3 years old. She's had a mature disposition and old joints and a white face for as long as I can remember (though I have photo evidence, as shown in my user pic above, to the contrary.) We got Zoe three years ago because we, quite honestly, didn't expect Lucy to be around that much longer. And here we are three years later. In truth though, I've been noticing some subtle (and not so subtle) changes lately. She never bounded up stairs, but lately they're harder than usual. And she's panting more than usual. And she wants out in the middle of the night. And yesterday Jess came home to a mess on the floor.
And it makes me sad.
With luck there are another 3 years left of old dog. What I'm afraid of the most is the end. Not of the fact it's coming, but of the actual mechanics of it. As sad as it is, I would much rather she come down with something like cancer and the vet tell us to take her home for a couple of days and then bring her back and have her quietly and comfortably go across the rainbow bridge. I'd much rather that than wake up and find her already gone (and to be clear, if that should happen I will not have one sweet clue what to do with myself or with her.) or the worst of the three, to have her slowly deteriorate and leave it up to me to decide that today should be the day. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Because to be clear, that's a shitty decision to have to make.
Ok this post is making me sad. I think I'll stop now and go watch Canada whup some Oympic hockey ass. That's always cheering.
As you were.
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Date: 2014-02-21 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-21 06:34 pm (UTC)I appreciate it. And I suspect I'll be back with more sad tales, though hopefully later rather than sooner.
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Date: 2014-02-21 06:49 pm (UTC)My dog Bosco just went downhill. One day I came home to find he had been lying in the sun unable to move and had heat exhaustion. He was a BIG dog and I worked out a way to roll him onto a blanket, drag the blanket to the car, and lift the whole thing into the car to get him to the vet.
When I went to pick him up from the vet, the vet said, "Now, Barb - " which always precedes a lecture - and said this was going to happen again because I was not at home during the day and he would surely get into the same situation again, and I would be bringing him back in over and over....
I knew he was right and it was a terrible decision to make, but I had Bosco put down. And afterward I asked the vet to help me get him back in my car so I could take him home and bury him, and the vet was AMAZED. He said, "I can help you - I don't get off until 5, but I can come out and help you." It was a hot day; I'm not going to keep a deceased dog lying around. Went home and buried him.
Late in the day the vet called me and said he could come out to my house and help me dig. I told him I had already done it and again, he was just amazed. It was a LOT of work to excavate for a large dog. He sent me the nicest note later that it was people like me that made his practice worthwhile.
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Date: 2014-02-21 06:58 pm (UTC)I went with the cremation option for our Black Lab and will probably do so again. I know there's lots of discussion about just exactly whose ashes are in there, but for me it's the best decision. I hate the idea of just leaving any of my dogs and having them "disposed of" by the vet, and while I probably could find some square footage in my yard, it would be tough to find and I KNOW I couldn't do it myself. My hat goes off to you for being able to do so.
It's only been the past couple of years that I think I could dispose of the black lab's ashes and when I do (I'm a bit of a procrastinator on top of everything else)they'll go out to my in-law's place on the lake where ALL our dogs love to go.
Thanks for sharing your story.
xoxox
no subject
Date: 2014-02-22 01:34 pm (UTC)None of us likes to play God with our pets or anything else. You are absolutely correct in saying that it's a decision that's tough to make for anyone. The time will come, however, when you look at Lucy and decide that she is TOO UNCOMFORTABLE to go on any further. When that time comes the decision will be easier to make. Until then, consider keeping her on the first level, putting down a "potty pad" at night to lessen her anxiety about the extra potty events, and do whatever else you can think of to ease her last days.
Some vets will come out to your house to do the last injection. It all depends on them. Or they send a vet tech. If you get one that does it, it's a good thing because it will lessen her anxiety at having to go to the vets. Failing that, if you HAVE to go to the vets, some of them will actually come out to your car to do it. Just some stuff I've been through that has helped a very small bit.
*hugs*